I do think the FIA needs to look at why successful GP2 drivers, even champions, are finding it so hard to break into F1. One problem, of course, is the lack of available seats, made worse by the closure of Manor, but we've now had two champions of what is supposed to be the official feeder series have to go off to Japan to continue to earn a living (albeit only for a year in Vandoorne's case; whether Gasly will get a seat in 2018 is another question).

It is in the FIA's gift to have achieved this though and if they wanted to they could. When MM signed away the F1 rights for next to nothing, the FIA could have put a clause in that the promoter (FOM) had to fund a seat in F1 for 1 season for the current GP2 (or whatever the rung below F1 is) to move up to F1 as an FIA Champion - either by placing (and paying for) a seat in a current team or if insuffcient seats making a team (by rotation) run a 3rd FIA car.

It is in the FIA's gift to have achieved this though and if they wanted to they could. When MM signed away the F1 rights for next to nothing, the FIA could have put a clause in that the promoter (FOM) had to fund a seat in F1 for 1 season for the current GP2 (or whatever the rung below F1 is) to move up to F1 as an FIA Champion - either by placing (and paying for) a seat in a current team or if insuffcient seats making a team (by rotation) run a 3rd FIA car.

I wonder if the FIA or FOM would want to get so involved in essentially commercial matters.